inequality, absolutely staggering!

[Monty]

https://mkorostoff.github.io/1-pixel-wealth/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Blade]

Who is he?

[D41]

I think he owns Amazon.
Probably owns a lot of other stuff toi, come to think of it.

[Blade]

In that case he's a cu"t as Amazon don't pay anywhere near the amount of UK tax they should.

He if was just wealthy through hard work, effort and paid the correct tax I wouldnt have any issue. I admire entrepreneurs they are wiser, harder working and more risk accepting than I could ever be.

[Kwacky]

He could pay for healthcare, school and university for every single American for 100 years and still have enough money left over to not notice.

[Monty]

Yep, and his fortune is absolutely dwarfed by the combined wealth of just 400 of America's richest people. Just imagine what they could achieve.

[Stonesie]

I just looked up what Jeff Bezos owns, he has his fingers in many pies. Even dabbling in building rockets with Blue Origin as one of his pet projects.
2 years older than SpaceX and have not reached orbit yet with all that money backing them, makes me wonder what they're really working on.

[duke63]

It will be interesting to see if this level of wealth now becomes socially unacceptable. I am not holding my breath though.

I know that there is no record of the wealth held in the British offshore tax havens as they do not have to file accounts anywhere. That just is not acceptable on any level in this day and age.

I bet the wealth held there could sort all the current economic problems out and them some.

[duke63]

And for some light reading....https://www.mondaq.com/Wealth-Managemen ... Structures" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm sure if the majority of the populace knew the reality of what goes on there, there would be a demand by them to stop it.


The BVI has no income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, wealth tax or similar fiscal laws. While trading companies will normally pay taxes in the usual way in countries where they engage in business, using a BVI company as an intermediary holding company can create tax neutral layers in the corporate holding structure.

[Blade]

I personally don't see an issue with wealth, if its been earned honestly and people pay the correct share of all applicable taxes with no tax avoidance.

Why should the wealthly, who have honestly earned it pay, for others who haven't put in the same effort, risk or scarfice? Hard work should still pay rewards.

If people pay the correct taxes, then they have already fairly contributed massively to the benefit of everyone, by a hugely disproportionate amount, why expect them to pay more than their fair share?

I don't see why people who have honestly earned more, should be expected to give it away, as others are envious of their success and fruits of their labour.

Should Michael Phelps give me a Olympic Gold Medal, he doesn't need 23 of them, just give me one. No one, would expect that as he earned them and deserves them. Same goes for honestly earned wealth in my book. There shouldn't be an expectation they need to give it away.

[Kwacky]

No one is saying hard work shouldn't be rewarded.

[duke63]

Individuals only hide wealth because they dont want others to know about it., usually the tax man.

The problem with extreme wealth is that it buys power. And buying power is corrupt.

[Blade]

There does seem a sentiment in society in general though these days, that the rich should pay for everything cos they can afford it.

I just dont agree with that. If people earn their money through honest hard work and pay the applicable taxes with no tax avoidance then that money is theirs to enjoy. If thats 500 billion good for them if they paid the correct amount of tax, then they have already contributed disproprtionately to the economy and public coffers.

I think I remember reading an article on Simon Cowell years ago. At the time he had paid something like 26 million in tax in that fiscal year and god knows how many more generous charitable donations. Good for him I say, I hope he enjoys his wealth if he's an honest tax paying entrpuerner.

[Perkles]

There does seem a sentiment in society in general though these days, that the rich should pay for everything cos they can afford it.

I just dont agree with that. If people earn their money through honest hard work and pay the applicable taxes with no tax avoidance then that money is theirs to enjoy. If thats 500 billion good for them if they paid the correct amount of tax, then they have already contributed disproprtionately to the economy and public coffers.

I think I remember reading an article on Simon Cowell years ago. At the time he had paid something like 26 million in tax in that fiscal year and god knows how many more generous charitable donations. Good for him I say, I hope he enjoys his wealth if he's an honest tax paying entrpuerner.

and he shagged Sinita which is worth more than gold or money

[Kwacky]

There does seem a sentiment in society in general though these days, that the rich should pay for everything cos they can afford it.
.

That's a myth peddled by the tax dodging owners of the media. The public is constantly told that there are scroungers out there who want everything for free and they want you to pay for it.

When that's exactly what tax dodgers are doing.

Companies and their owners who avoid tax get workers educated for free, with free health cover from the NHS, protected for free by the police and fire service, using roads without paying for the upkeep.

That's the real scandal.

Yes, there are a few benefit scroungers out there. But that's no excuse to allow the rich to tell us that benefit cheats and immigrants are the enemy of the people, who are depriving us from having an effective health service and provision of education.

[Blade]

Two sided coin Kwacky, I hear the drum banged the rich can afford it all the time.

Average man with a decent job isn't the rich, there working class so society shouldn't sh1t on them demanding higher and higher taxes and stealth taxes for higher rate earners

[Blade]

There does seem a sentiment in society in general though these days, that the rich should pay for everything cos they can afford it.

I just dont agree with that. If people earn their money through honest hard work and pay the applicable taxes with no tax avoidance then that money is theirs to enjoy. If thats 500 billion good for them if they paid the correct amount of tax, then they have already contributed disproprtionately to the economy and public coffers.

I think I remember reading an article on Simon Cowell years ago. At the time he had paid something like 26 million in tax in that fiscal year and god knows how many more generous charitable donations. Good for him I say, I hope he enjoys his wealth if he's an honest tax paying entrpuerner.

and he shagged Sinita which is worth more than gold or money

Old c_nts a legend for that alone

[Kwacky]

I've no problem with tax increases. My issue is how the money is spent. We can afford trident, HS2 and bombing Syria but there's no money for roads, pay rises for nurses or housing the homeless.

People have lost their perspective. $139 billion is unimaginable. Just think of the lives you could change forever with that money. The legacy you could leave. You could cure diseases, lift a country out of debt, create a renewable energy network, the opportunities are endless.

Steve Jobs knew too late what was important.

[Blade]

Problem is the 139 billion is not public money, so regardless of what can be done with it, its not ours to spend or speculate about.

My issue is with all Goverments who have continously allowed loop holes to exist for the mega wealth individuals and corporations to avoid paying their fair share of tax through tax avoidance schemes.

[Kwacky]

Like I said, people have lost perspective. I find bragging about owning $139bn to be abhorrent when theres so much good that could be done with it. Yet others look up to him because he's got so much wealth. The Kardashians are worth millions and for what? We're living in an age when our kids want to be like these people, people who suck dick for fame and think plastic surgery is better than being proud of what you look like. People can't afford to buy a house but lease a £50k car to impress strangers.

It's a focked up world and like I said yesterday, people now worship at the altar of money.